Iraqi forces push into deadliest areas of Mosul as civilian exodus accelerates
Nearly three weeks into the last phase of the battle for Mosul, Iraqi forces have started pushing into the most heavily fortified and lethal corners of the crumbling city.
This weekend the battles in the city, the Islamic State’s last urban stronghold in Iraq, were some of the most intensive yet. Maj Gen Haider al-Maturi, of the federal police commandos division, said Isis militants had dispatched at least six suicide car bombs, which were all destroyed before reaching troops. He said the militants were moving from house to house and deploying snipers.
A statement released by Iraqi Rapid response teams said units were “very close” to the government buildings near the old city. It added that units had captured the Danadan district, south-east of the complex, while US-trained counter-terrorism service units pushed through the Tal al-Ruman and Somood districts, in the south-west.
Early on Monday, US-backed Iraqi forces captured the city’s al-Hurriya bridge, which leads to the old city centre from the south, a military media officer told Reuters.